AspenPointe Thanks Community Partners With Annual Breakfast

Posted 02/21/2013

AspenPointe kicked off Valentine’s Day with its annual Community Partner Breakfast on Thursday to thank businesses and organizations in the local community for helping AspenPointe find solutions to many of our community’s largest social issues.

More than 100 people, including state and community leaders, attended the event at the AspenPointe Café in the El Paso County Citizens Services Center.

“Our community partner appreciation breakfast is an opportunity for us to thank everyone we partner with and do business with and bring them up to speed on our key initiatives,” said Kevin Porter, AspenPointe’s vice president of Marketing and Communication. “We want them to understand their integral role in helping us deliver services to 37,000 people each year and solving many of our community’s largest social issues, like lack of healthcare, education and employment.”

Two AspenPointe Clients shared their success through AspenPointe’s programs with attendees.

Peggy Billington shared how her physical limitations had prevented her from finding employment, but with the help of an AspenPointe career services program specialist, she was able to identify her strengths and career goals. And her perseverance paid off as she found employment as a receptionist in AspenPointe’s Enterprises network.

Richard Tafoya expressed his appreciation for the opportunities he has been given through his experience with AspenPointe.

“I can’t express how thankful I am,” Tafoya said. “Not only did AspenPointe help me recognize and understand my mental health issues, but they believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and that has opened up a lot of doors and opportunities for me.”

Tafoya is now employed with AspenPointe’s custodial business line, and he is also working to establish a canine service dog program to help serve military veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“It gives me the greatest joy in the world to work hard at something I love and to be able to help others at the same time,” Tafoya said.

To cap off an eventful morning, Bruce Panter, the business development manager for Wells Fargo Bank, presented a check for $10,000 to help fund the construction of a Geodesic Dome for AspenPointe’s Community Garden, which provides a therapeutic environment for clients and produce for the AsepnPointe Café.

A Geodesic Dome will allow the community garden to provide programming for clients and the community year round.

For more information about the Geodesic Dome project, visit AspenPointe’s website, www.aspenpointe.org, and click on the Geodesic Dome link on the right side of the page.

One of the largest nonprofits in Colorado Springs, AspenPointe traces its roots back to 1875 when we were called the Springs Relief Society. That organization, which delivered coal, lumber and clothing to the needy, was the genesis of what today is a comprehensive and integrated system of care that addresses the overall wellness of each client whether they need behavioral health services, counseling services or career services.

We have 12 organizations that serve more than 30,000 individuals and families each year through behavioral health services, counseling services, career services, education, housing, jail diversion/reintegration, telephonic wellness and care management.

We collaborate with clergy, educators, employers, other health and human service agencies, the legal/criminal justice system, other behavioral health providers, insurers, and many other organizations to leverage our collective resources in order to better our communities and the lives of its residents.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded largely by Medicaid, state and federal grants, local government contracts, and generous donations.